Laser Thermal
Laser Thermal awarded DARPA Phase II grant.
Laser Thermal has been awarded a Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Supporting the ‘Advancing Thermo-Optical Metrology for Integrated Circuits’ (ATOMIC) project, grant receivers are aiming to innovate nano-scale thermal property measurement.
The thermal property measurement solutions provider will utilise the grant to further develop its Nano-probe Thermoreflectance Microscope (NTM). Designed to measure the thermal resistance and temperature of semiconductor materials, heterostructures, and wide/ultra-wide bandgap RF devices, the solution aims to improve precision levels. With the Direct to Phase II SBIR award, Laser Thermal will be able to develop and refine its thermo-optical metrology tool over the following year.
“This is a crucial leap forward in innovative thermal measurement techniques. We are combining the spatial resolution of scanning probe platforms with the sensitivity of thermoreflectance methods,” said Brian Foley, VP of R&D at Laser Thermal. “Our collaboration with DARPA is an exciting opportunity to contribute our expertise in thermal sciences to the development of cutting-edge thermo-optical metrology instrumentation.”
Looking ahead to the future, Laser Thermal hopes to “push the envelope in thermal metrology,” particularly regarding the challenges faced by the semiconductor industry. If further developments are successful, the NTM tool should provide new insights into the thermal behaviour of advanced materials, leading to innovations in semiconductor technology and device performance.